USC center Evan Mobley was heavily linked to the Cleveland Cavaliers during the pre-draft process, and the 7-footer will now head to Ohio to begin his NBA career.
The Cavaliers on Thursday selected Mobley with the third overall pick in the NBA draft after a tremendous freshman campaign. He helped lead the Trojans to the Elite Eight after finishing with the second-most wins (25) in program history.
Mobley was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year after averaging 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.9 blocks and 2.4 assists in 33 games. He also won Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player ever to win all three awards.
OFFICIAL: @evanmobley is #N3XT! pic.twitter.com/pfRnNkeBBL
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) July 30, 2021
Mobley proved to be dominant down low last season and has the potential to be an elite defender at the next level. While he can work in the paint, many believe he is among the most versatile prospects in the draft given his overall skill set on both ends of the floor.
His agility and length on defense make him arguably one of the best frontcourt defenders as he can guard nearly every position on the floor. With added development, Mobley believes he can eventually be a generational player in the NBA.
Certainly, adding Mobley next to the likes of Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Isaac Okoro will give the Cavaliers a strong core of young players to build around. The future appears to be bright in The Land.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
[lawrence-related id=35727,35438,35651]
[mm-video type=video id=01fb5ex6d995jxe1ww9c playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jxkahtwnvzepyp image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fb5ex6d995jxe1ww9c/01fb5ex6d995jxe1ww9c-a184fb39633be665fd215a4aa2a6b328.jpg]
[listicle id=35780]